GreenSpotLight Awards Celebration

Join Columbus GreenSpot, City Councilmember Emmanuel V. Remy, and the Franklin Park Conservatory in a celebration of our community’s GreenSpot achievements. Being recognized:

• Three GreenSpot businesses (small, medium, and large) that have demonstrated exemplary environmental performance;
• GreenSpot Sustainability Initiative graduates;
  • Advanced Drainage Systems
  • Ashland
  • Civil & Environmental Consultants
  • OBLSK
• The newest GreenSpot Neighborhood: Clintonville
• The newest GreenSpot designated school: Indianola Informal K-8

Also, celebrate EarthShare Ohio’s 25th anniversary! Harnessing the strength of its more than 500 nonprofit partners, EarthShare delivers strategic programs that give people a voice in how they take action — from impacting air quality, clean water, and climate change to preserving the land and wildlife in their own backyard.

Enjoy great company, food, and help celebrate businesses, neighborhoods, and schools in our community as they receive recognition for their sustainability achievements. 

Thursday, March 26th from 4:30-6pm is the date and time. Admission is free, but RSVP is required due to limited space. Email DRCelebrezze@columbus.gov to reserve your spot today!  

We will be collecting materials for GreenSpot member Ohio Wildlife Center. Please bring one or more of the following to donate: pillow cases, hand towels, large towels, Ziploc Bags (gallon and sandwich size), Tupperware, Garbage bags, paper towels, and/or dish soap.

Location: Palm House, Franklin Park Conservatory, 1777 E Broad St, Columbus, OH 43203

Event Sponsor: City of Columbus, AEP Ohio, Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Gardens, EarthShare Ohio, Columbia Gas, and Ashland.

Save some energy, save some greenbacks

Small steps can have a large impact on the amount we spend on energy, our personal health and comfort, and reducing our environmental footprint.

Sustainable Steps is part of the Sustainable Columbus initiative and focuses on promoting small steps residents can take to improve their lives, neighborhoods, and live more sustainably.

Our first initiative is to help residents take simple steps to lower their home energy use and save money! One way to do this is to take an energy audit. You can sign up here. Our goal is 30,000 home energy audits by the end of 2020. We are well on our way with 20,000! Help us reach our goal and learn how to make your home more energy efficient in the process.

Earth Day Columbus

Earth Day turns 50 this year! There are many opportunities to volunteer to plant a tree, pick up litter, or remove invasive species. Green Columbus wants to collaborate and plant 50,000 trees right here in central Ohio. You can either host a service site or volunteer for a service site. A great way to help our community one action at a time.

For more information on the activities click here. Then on Saturday, April 25th swing down to Genoa Park for the Earth Day Celebration! Live music, food, and dozens of vendors with information on going green. The fun starts at 1pm!

Let's Talk Trees! Public Open House

Join Columbus Recreation and Parks on Wednesday, March 4, from 6-8 p.m. at Wyandot Lodge at 3228 Indian Village Road, Columbus for an open house to talk about trees!

They are creating the Urban Forestry Master Plan, which will help preserve, maintain and increase our tree canopy. All input will be used to develop the plan.

Everyone is invited to stop by anytime between 6-8 p.m. There will be a brief presentation at 6:30 p.m. about Columbus’ current tree canopy.

If you can’t attend the public open house on March 4, feel free to fill out this survey and share your thoughts here.

Tell us: Should we have more trees? Where do we need them? What are our biggest hurdles for improving tree canopy in Columbus? What does your neighborhood need?

Please RSVP for the public open house by going to: https://www.columbusufmp.org/updates.html. We hope to see you there!

Welcome new GreenSpot Business members

A new section in the GreenSpot eNewsletter is welcoming businesses that joined since the last eNewsletter. We welcome the following organizations who have made the pledge to a more sustainable way of doing business.

• Buckeye Precious Plastics
• Reilly Chiropractic
• Be Green Dentistry
• Anna Mans Architecture and Consulting, LLC
• HSU & Co. Natural Health Store
• CESO Inc.
• Hill International
• Schooley Caldwell Associates

Did you know they are a GreenSpot? Better Business Bureau of Central Ohio

Better Business Bureau of Central Ohio is always looking for ways to promote trust, whether that be between businesses and consumers or between the community and the planet.

That’s why, in the past year, they’ve worked on decreasing their carbon footprint and doubling down on their dedication to being an environmentally friendly business.

In 2019, they became a GreenSpot certified business and jumped right in. They started phasing out single use cups and supplied everyone in the office with reusable mugs and water bottles so they could cut down on single-use waste. Also, they installed automatic lights in the restrooms and have encouraged all employees to turn off lights in rooms that are not currently in use.

BBB installed three large recycling bins in the kitchen and have placed paper only recycling bins in every department to make it easier to recycle at every opportunity.

They also started dropping off plastic bags at the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction Institutions so inmates can use them to create and sew sleeping bags and waterproof sleeping mats for Ohio’s homeless population. So far, they’ve donated well over 200 plastic bags.

BBB is excited to continue our recycling program and donating plastic bags to the ODRC as well as implementing other green practices throughout 2020. They will be working with some of their Accredited Charities on environmentally friendly collaborations. They encourage all of their Accredited Businesses and charities to become a GreenSpot certified business!